There is currently an application in place (22/00569/OUT) to develop and restructure the Heath Business Park and land to the North of Heath Park known locally as “the horse fields” which are also offer to access Runcorn Hill.

The developer SOG MD & Owner John Lewis is marketing it as a mixed use 21st century Port Sunlight. The intention is to retain the current 1960’s office blocks (the time of asbestos) and use “horse fields” to create 545 residential units, a 7 storey vertical farm, hotel,conference centre, restaurant/café, leisure facility, all to be supplied via the HyNet hydrogen pipeline infrastructure.

The development is reminiscent of Southgate and is not in keeping with the area. There are many concerns amongst the residents of the local area as to the detrimental and negative affect this project could have on the local community, given the 9 year time line it has been allocated.

Whilst the glossy website and the plaudits it has allegedly received the reality of the project is very different #

• Serious impact on the infrastructure, Weston has one main road in and out, to add a potential minimum of 545 cars along with additional service then this will put massive pressure on the area, given the non existent bus service. We would also see increase in air pollution in an already compromised region

• The reduction of green space, this is a premium in Runcorn given other developments that have been taken place in the past few years. During Covid the area provided an essential open space for all the residents of Runcorn.This will also affect the bio-diversity of the area which will suffer with the removal of trees and heathland.

• The impact on local Schools, Doctors and Dentist, there is no provision in the plans for increasing these facilities, as these are already stretched to full capacity how could they service the additional 545 homes efficiently

• Some of the homes would be built on the “horse fields” which are essentially contaminated land from waste that were deposited decades previously. Additionally it would fall into the COMAH risk area. Who would want buy a new property with these potential issues

This is only a snapshot of what is happening and I’m sure that many residents in Runcorn will be unaware that this happening and the consequences going forward that this will have on the local area.

The town with the exception of the town centre is being swallowed up with various developments and to lose a fabulous area of green space and local community is a travesty and is a testament to greed.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED